Holy Week Day 6: The Blood

FAITH

Apr 3

In the early hours as Peter, James and John are still sleeping and Jesus wrestling in prayer, a group of men come to the garden. Holding lanterns and torches to see through the fog, it was as if they were hunting for someone.

Judas steps out from the group of men carrying out his betrayal.

He kissed Him.

But Jesus said to him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" {Luke 22:48}

You wonder if He wanted to ask him other questions.

What have I done that you would betray me?

Was I ever unkind; have I ever lied or deceived you; have I ever betrayed you?

Why Judas do I receive this treatment from you?

The men seized Him and took those innocent hands that had raised to bless others, that had brought bread to the hungry, and touched the leper and made them clean, touched the blind and would see, touched the ears and the hearts so many could hear and feel His love – those innocent hands, they took them and bound them.

He gave Himself up as a willing sacrifice and was obedient to their will.

As they entered the temple of the Sanhedrin. It was as though you could hear the drool from their mouths.

They were thirsty for His blood.

Standing trial, they accuse Him of hearing Him say, “He would tear down the temple and He could raise it up again in three days”.

It was enough to make the high priest, Caiaphas tremble.

I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!

Jesus said to him, “It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” {Matthew 26:63-64}

The verdict – death

It was still Thursday night…it may have been midnight.

And Peter – he was there- would he be loyal?

Only a few days before he had promised to stand by his Lord…to the very end.

Why would Peter not be brave and have the courage to stand before the world and own Jesus as His Lord?

Would we?

That very night Jesus was in the Sanhedrin courts, Peter denied Him with a curse, and swore he never knew Him.

It seemed there was no hand to defend Him; no hand to help Him.

That night He was in the hands of His enemy.

And so was Judas, as he hung himself from the sting of his own guilt.

Friday has arrived.

Jesus must now go before Pilate.

“I find no fault with this man.”

The people kept screaming. Thirsty for His blood.

Poor Pilate! He hadn’t the moral courage to stand firm.

“Send Him to Herod.”

Oh, but Herod. The one that just had John killed, would gladly have a taste of the same blood.

Herod must have thought, “this is the King, John was talking about”.

They took Jesus and stripped his clothes and put a scarlet robe on Him.

Twisted a vine of thorns and placed it on the temples of His head.

You could hear Herod’s soldiers' mocking…”Hail, King of the Jews!”

As they bring Him back to Pilate, not one of His disciples stood up for Him. His friends that were shouting “Hosannah, to the Son of David,” now cried, “Crucify Him.”

Pilate wanted the release of Jesus. His conscience and his wife instructed him to.

Instead, he devised a plan… release a prisoner in exchange.

The crowd standing. They see the soldiers bringing out one with his hands dripping with blood of a murder, and another who had all His life healed the sick, given life, and done good.

We want Barabbas to be released the people screamed.

And then Pilate gave Jesus to be scourged.

“a whip or lash, especially for the infliction of punishment or torture– Websters Dictionary

His wrists bound and fasted to a post.

His back bare.

A nine lashes of cat o’ nine tails.

Thirty-nine sharp pieces of steel pulling from His flesh.

But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. {Isaiah 53:5}

He was wounded for you and for me.

May this be our reality.

It was the God of Heaven that was beaten for us.

Jesus beaten

Blow after blow to that innocent body.

And after they beat Him, they didn’t take a first aid kit and stop the bleeding.

They didn’t take oil and ointment and pour it on His wounds.

Instead, they took the crown of thorns that were removed and put them back on His head.

The treatment the Son of God received!

And those wounds, they were made for us; He bore His stripes for you and for me.

You can see the blood trickle down that innocent head, down every crease along His face, and over His body. And all for us!

They remove that purple robe and replace it with His own garment, and they lift up His cross and lay it upon Him.

It’s not one of those shiny gold necklaces we see or a cross set with diamonds, this was a rugged, heavy cross made out of a tree.

They lay crosses on two thieves as if the devil wanted to blacken the name of Jesus. Placed between two thieves carrying their own crosses.

Then that moment happens, we see Jesus stumble and fall as though the sins of the world are too heavy to carry. They lay it upon Simon as the Lamb of God goes up to Calvary, like a sheep to His slaughter.

They’ve arrived – Golgotha.

With hammers and nails in their hands, they stretch His arms across that Cross. Those innocent hands pierced as you hear the hammer become one with the nail.

Longer spikes driven through both feet.

It was as though God our Father was nailed to that Cross.

As the cross was lifted, heaven and earth met.

Sure, He could have called all the angels of God against His murderers or called down fire out of heaven to consume every one of them. But no, instead He willed His flesh to hang there between them.

Then we hear the act of forgiveness given. Not the one that will be given freely, but the one that holds nothing against the other.